Graham Power, a new method of generating power

ABSTRACT

Titled “Graham Power, A New Method of Generating Power” inventor David Graham. Graham power is a power plant. In its simplest form, it is an air conditioning/refrigerant system which also produces power. This is accomplished by adding a turbine to an air-conditioning system. The evaporation process extract heat from the air and the turbine converts that heat into power. In fact it is a power generating system. Graham Power recycles the very fuel that it uses. Graham Power does not consume fuel nor does it release CO2 gas to the environment. It simply draws heat from the surrounding air and transforms it into useful power. In the process of extracting heat from the environment it cools the air. This cooling effect is beneficial to the atmosphere which is currently overheating.

Be it known that I, David J Graham, a Citizen of Canada, residing inEdmonton, Alberta, have invented a new method of generating power, whichI choose for lack of a better word to call Graham Power. The title ofthis invention is “Graham Power, A New Method of Generating Power”. Thisis a utility patent application, under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §119(e) which was proceeded by a Provisional Application for Patent ofthe same name filled by David J. Graham on Oct. 24, 2006 Application No.60/853,724. The country code for the priority application is U.S.60/853,724.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the thermodynamics of heat engines the working fluid is generally airand CO2. For example in a jet engine the compressor drives high pressureair into the combustion chamber. In the combustion chamber the air isexpanded by applying heat. The heat is produced by the burning of jetfuel. The super hot air expands rapidly and is directed and blasted intothe turbine which produces power. Than the super heated air is blastedout a nozzle to propel the plane forward. In a gas turbine the turbinesection of a jet engine is maximized to produce power out while theexhaust heat is minimized. Under the thermodynamics of heat engines youalso find refrigeration and air-conditioning system because thesesystems involve heat from evaporation and condensation rather than theburning of a fuel. The primary purpose of a heat engine is to convertheat into power. This invention can be classified as a Power Plant 060subclass 641.1 Utilizing Natural Heat.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Graham power in its simplest form, is an air-conditioning/refrigerantsystem which also produces power. This is accomplished by adding aturbine to an air-conditioning process. The evaporation process extractheat from the air and the turbine converts that heat into power.

For purposes of explanation consider a gas turbine modified as follows.The working fluid is not air but a refrigerant gas. The working fluid isnot heated by burning fuel but by the natural evaporation process of aliquid refrigerant as it evaporates and expands rapidly into a gas. Thisrapidly expanding gas is directed into a turbine through a nozzle athigh speeds. The output of the turbine produces power which than runsthe compressor and/or a generator. Then the refrigerant gas iscompressed back into a liquid state to be stored and recycled. In asecond version of the invention the heat from the condensation processis recycled to further heat the refrigerant gas before it enters theturbine providing even more heat to be converted into power.

In an air-conditioning system the evaporator draws heat from a coolingmedia, air, to evaporate the liquid refrigerant into a gas. The amountof heat obtained from evaporation is generally greater than the amountof heat released from condensation, provided that the evaporator isconfigured to superheat the refrigerant. The heat from condensation in asecond version of this invention is recycled to the intake of theturbine. The evaporation process consumes no work. It is a naturalprocess that draws heat into the system. The compression processconsumes approximately 18 to 20% of the energy produced from theevaporation process, plus inefficiencies and friction. If the heat fromcondensation is recycled back to the turbine, additional heat isavailable to produce more power. Normally there are considerableinefficiencies in a turbine, generator and motor. Provided that theseinefficiencies and friction are kept to a minimum, the system will beself sustaining. One of the best way to do this is to use the mostefficient turbines and compressors, and to eliminate the gear box, tothe generator.

Graham Power is much more than an air-conditioning system. It is a powergenerating system that has the potential to revolutionizes thegeneration of power. Graham Power recycles the very fuel that it uses togenerate power. Once self-sustaining Graham Power will continue to rununtil the system is turned off, breaks down or a leak occurs. GrahamPower does not consume fuel nor does it release CO2 gas to theenvironment. It simply draws heat from the surrounding air andtransforms it into useful power. In the process of extracting heat fromthe environment, it cools the surrounding air. This cooling effect isbeneficial to the environment.

Whether the system produce a little or much power it will lower thecosts of air conditioning dramatically. If the system proves to be selfsustaining it will eliminate the cost of air conditioning. AirConditioning is the largest consumer of power in the US today. If thesystem produces excess power it can be designed to produce sufficientpower to run a house. No matter how much power this system produces itwill make conventional air conditioning obsolete.

In the early stages of development Graham Power will revolutionize theair conditioning and refrigeration industries making all current airconditioning obsolete overnight. In the more advanced stages with higherefficiencies of compressor, turbine and generator, Graham Power willrevolutionize power generation and place a small self-sustaining powerplant in every home. A power plant not connected to the electrical gridand one that does not consume fuel or release CO2 gas. This means ofgenerating power can also be used in vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 illustrates the simplest version of this invention where aturbine 4 is added to an air-conditioning system. FIG. 2 illustrates asecond version of this invention where a turbine 4 and a condenser/heatexchanger 6 are added to an air-conditioning system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 embodies a concept of this invention. Motor/generator 1 isconnected by common shaft 13 to compressor 2 and turbine 3. These threecomponents work as follows. When the motor/generator 1 is turned on,valve 10 is opened and motor/generator 1 drives compressor 2 and turbine3. As the expanding refrigerant gas begins to drive turbine 3, lesspower is drawn from motor/generator 1. Once turbine 3 generatessufficient power to drive the compressor 2 no power is drawn frommotor/generator 1. When turbine 3 generates more power than compressor 2requires the motor/generator 1 will produce electricity which is feedback into the electrical grid. In most applications the motor/generator1 will be two separate units, a motor and a generator connected to shaft13. The embodiment of motor/generator 1 contained herein is designed toconvey the concept rather than the engineering details.

The arrows indicate the flow of refrigerant through the system asfollows. Storage tank 4 contains a liquid refrigerant under pressure.Throttle valve 10 opens and releases the liquid refrigerant into theevaporating unit 5. The liquid refrigerant enters evaporator 5 where itis expanded into a gas and draws heat from the air which is circulatedby a fan, not shown, across evaporator 5. The normal evaporator controlsare set to maximize the superheating of the refrigerant. This increasesthe heat to turbine 3 and the power produced by turbine 3. Thesuperheated refrigerant gas enters compressor 2 where it is compressed.Then the refrigerant gas enters turbine 3 and is further accelerated bythe turbine nozzle before hitting the blades or disc as the case may be.Since a turbine is generally designed with a much larger exit hole theninlet to maintain the proper pressure gradient a funnel 11 is requiredto reduce the exit to match the piping employed. After the funnel 11 isa valvular conduit 12. The valvular conduit basically acts as a checkvalve only allowing one way flow. The refrigerant, at this point, may bein the form of a vapor and a liquid, is than directed into a secondsmall compressor 14 and than to the condenser 13 with a fan, not shown.The condenser 13 allows the refrigerant to condense totally into aliquid by releasing its heat to the air. The liquid refrigerant isrecycled back to the storage tank 4.

The storage tank 4 is on the high pressure side while the exit from theevaporator 5 is on the low pressure side. The compressor 2 raises thepressure while the turbine 3 lowers the pressure. The valvular conduit12 allows a pressure gradient to separate the high pressure side fromthe low pressure side. Still the refrigerant will only flow across apressure gradient when the pressure at the exit of turbine 3 is as highas the pressure in tank 4. For this reason a second compressor 14 mayprove necessary. In fact the turbine's power output will pulse on andoff. When turbine 3 is on it produces power and when the turbine 3 exitpressure drops sufficiently to prevent flow, turbine 3 will ceaseproducing power. Eventually the compressors 2 will pressurize the systemsufficiently to reestablish flow and the turbine 3 will begin to producepower again. Thus turbine 3 will cycle on and off. It is a design matterto balance the sizing of compressor 2 and 14. It may be possible withthe correct sizing of compressor 2 to eliminate the need for compressor14.

Evaporator 5, and condenser 13 are commonly found in everyair-conditioning system available today.

FIG. 2 embodies another concept of this invention. This particularconfiguration produces continuous power from the turbine. This embedmenthas the same motor/generator 1, compressor, 2 and turbine 3configuration but with the compressor 2 and turbine 3 interchanged.There after it deviates in that it utilizes a condenser/heat exchanger 6to recycles the heat from condensation back to the turbine 3 to produceadded power. Compressor 2 allows separation between the high pressureand the low pressure side. Level control 7 forces the condensationprocess to occur in the condenser/heat exchanger 6 by turning pump 8 andvalve 9 off and on.

Motor/generator 1 is connected by common shaft 13 to turbine 3 andcompressor 2. These three components work as follows. When the unit isturned on valve 10 is opened and motor/generator 1 drives compressor 2and turbine 3. As the expanding refrigerant gas begins to drive turbine3, less power is drawn from motor/generator 1. Once turbine 3 generatessufficient power to drive compressor 2 no power is drawn frommotor/generator 1. When turbine 3 generates more power than compressor 2requires the motor/generator 1 will produce electricity which is feedback into the electrical grid. The motor/generator 1 will most likely betwo separate units, a motor and a generator connected to shaft 13.

Storage tank 4 contains a liquid refrigerant under pressure. Throttlevalve 10 opens and releases the liquid refrigerant into the evaporatingunit 5. The liquid refrigerant enters evaporator 5 where it is expandedinto a gas and draws heat from the air which is circulated by a fan, notshown, across evaporator 5. The normal evaporator controls are set tomaximize the superheating of the gas. The refrigerant gas enters avalvular conduit 12 before it enters a condenser/heat exchanger 6 toabsorb additional heat from the cooling process. The valvular conduit 12acts as a check valve allowing the gas to only flow in one direction.

Refrigerant gas exits evaporator 5 and flows through condenser/heatexchanger 6 where it absorbs heat from the condensing process. Thevalvular conduit 12 prevents the gas from reversing flow as theadditional heat is absorbed from the condensation process. The superheated refrigerant gas enters turbine 3 where power is extracted fromthe heat. The refrigerant exits turbine 3 at a low pressure in a wetvapor state and enters compressor 2. The refrigerant exits thecompressor 2 and enters the condenser/heat exchanger 6 where it iscondensed into a liquid refrigerant. Level control 7 maintains theliquid refrigerant at a low but appropriate level in condenser/heatexchanger 6. Pump 8 and return valve 9 are turned on when necessary bylevel control 7 to return the refrigerant to storage tank 4 and maintainthe level in condenser/heat exchanger 6. This in effect forces thecondensation process to release the heat of condensation in thecondenser/heat exchanger 6 where it is transferred back to turbine 3.

Level control 7 functions in the same manner that a water level controlfunctions in a boiler.

Condenser/heat exchanger 6 comprise two tubes. An inner tube in whichthe refrigerant exiting from turbine 3 is condensed and, an outer tubein which the evaporated gas flows to turbine 3. Level control 7 forcesthe gas to condense into a liquid in condenser/heat exchanger 6 thusmaximizing the transfer of condensation heat to the gas before it entersthe turbine.

Valvular conduit 12 force the gas to flow in one direction. A valvularconduit best suited for this application is described in U.S. Pat. No.1,329,559 issued Feb. 3, 1920 to N Tesla. It is possible to replace thevalvular conduit with a check valve.

Turbine 3 and compressor 2 must be of the highest possible efficiency. ATesla turbine is best for this application because it will handle wetvapor without damage although other turbines may be used. Such a turbineas the one described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,061,206 issued May 6, 1913 to NTesla. The recommended compressor is a scroll, rotary or screw type.Most forms of compressors found in modern refrigeration system will dothe job.

1. A power generating system that utilizes a refrigerant gas, as theworking fluid, to drive a turbine wherein the heat from evaporation isused to heat the working fluid prior to entering the turbine in a closedsystem that includes a turbine, compressor, evaporator, condenser,storage, and controls.
 2. A power generating system that utilizes arefrigerant gas, as the working fluid, to drive a turbine wherein theheat from evaporation and condensation is used to heat the working fluidprior to entering the turbine in a closed system that includes aturbine, compressor, evaporator, condenser, heat exchanger, storage, andcontrols.
 3. A power generating system as claimed in claim 2 whereby thecondenser and the heat exchanger are combined into a single unit.
 4. Anair conditioning/refrigeration system that includes a turbine, poweredby the refrigerant gas, to power or to aid in powering the compressor.5. An air conditioning/refrigeration system that includes a turbine,powered by the refrigerant gas, to power or to aid in powering thecompressor whereby the turbine draws it heat from the evaporationprocess.
 6. An air conditioning/refrigeration system that includes aturbine powered, by the refrigerant gas, to power or to aid in poweringthe compressor whereby the turbine draws it heat from the evaporationprocess and the condensation process.
 7. An airconditioning/refrigeration system as claimed in claim 4, 5 or 6 thatproduces excess power beyond the needs of the air-conditioning systemitself.